Speaker refers complaint to Privileges Committee

MP Rahuman complains of threats:

UNP Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman yesterday said that three opposition MPs threatened him with death for speaking about the alleged killing of national rugby player Wasim Thajudeen.

Raising a privilege issue, the MP said that while he was speaking during the committee stage debate on budget proposals under the expenditure heads of the Ministries of Foreign Employment and Foreign Affairs, he had been obstructed and three UPFA MPs Johnston Fernando, Indika Anuruddha and Sanath Nishantha surrounded him and prevented him from delivering his speech.

"They threatened me not to talk of Thajudeen’s death. I was told to speak at the cost of my life if I continued further. These threats and intimidation breached my privileges as an MP. I request an investigation be held in this regard," Rahuman said.

Every MP has been given a right to freedom of expression in Parliament by Standing Orders and the provisions of the Parliament Privileges Act, he said.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said that the matter would be referred to the Privileges Committee and a ruling would be given within the first two weeks of next month.

On Friday parliament sittings were suspended twice following pandemonium as some Opposition MPs lashed out at Rahuman, who brought up the death of Thajudeen and alleged that some of those responsible for the killing had been elected to Parliament. Rahuman said that those who killed Thajudeen had been elected to Parliament and they talked of war crimes.